I love to grill. So much, in fact, that I owned a tiny charcoal one that I illicitly employed on our fire escape in Brooklyn – on which I made the early recipes for The Wright Recipes, and, by extension, my first cookbook. One night while grilling these merguez burgers for friends, a flare-up of the flames dramatically cracked our kitchen window. The window was replaced, but the grilling never stopped. Here’s a taste of how I do grilling season…
With burgers, of course. I’ve never written a classic beef burger because, well, why? Aside from my renegade merguez burgers (a true favorite that I would eat this actual second), I’ve made them from salmon, chickpeas and sundried tomatoes, faux falafel, and into two-bite turkey sliders. To be honest, though, I’d take a kebab – especially these grilled lamb kebabs—over a burger any day. (Or these grilled kofta meatballs.) And of course I’ve made pork chops I love (with grilled peaches and onions!), but really, there are few things more satisfying than a chicken pressed flat onto the grill until it’s crisp and juicy (here’s a recipe, though after you’ve done it once you’ll never need it again).
Though proteins tend to get top billing, they also don’t require reinvention or even a recipe – mostly they can be slapped on the grill, flipped once, and then served. Besides, there’s typically some self-identified grill master in every group who waits for this season to show off their skills… so let them! Take on a wow-worthy salad instead, like this grilled escarole and peach salad or this summer squash and haloumi number. Or these grilled cauliflower steaks with dill-yogurt sauce, this grilled Mexican corn, or this grilled coconut cabbage. Show them who the real grill master is!
Can’t decide on any of the traditional fare? You can’t go wrong with this grilled brown rice paella or this grilled pizza. (And I know I’ve mentioned this grilled broccolini salad before, it’s my absolute favorite!) Also, because you know I can’t help myself: this grilled, then chilled, gazpacho soup.
One of the best parts about grilling is almost zero washing up, especially if the meal involves the aluminum foil origami of summer known as a “packet.” (Bonus if the resulting dinner is devoured off paper plates, ready to hit the compost bin after dinner is through.) These grilling equivalent to one-pot meals can result in blistered sausages with charred tomato sauce, grilled halibut with veggies, a vegetarian main dish with chunky grilled summer squash with crispy chickpeas and tahini dressing, or even a grilled clam bake! Better yet, these are the best kind of meals to take on a camping trip and toss over the smoldering embers of a campfire as fuel for your next-level summer dinners al fresco.
As you map out your #summerfoodgoals and the fun that inevitably follows, thanks for reading here and exploring my work. Other ways to support my work include buying my books: Twenty Dollar, Twenty Minute Meals (that has a Grilled Asparagus + Sliced Potato Salad with Anchovy Butter in it, a plate of which I wouldn’t be mad at right now); Cake Magic! (that can lead your cookout to finish with s’mores cupcakes); Catalan Food (with a grilled bread salad that is obsession-worthy); and Soup Club (which holds a farmer’s market pistou soup that I will be shopping for alongside veggies for grilling at the market this month).
For the paid subscribers among you, I’ve cooked up a little summer vacay to Santa Fe together via the grill, so hang tight: the easiest grilled black bean and quinoa relleno. (I don’t want to leave the rest of you behind, so here are two recipes that are southwestern inspired, Grilled Flank Steak Tacos and Grilled Green Tomato Tostadas.) Enjoy all that July brings and see you back here next month, bronzed and smiling!
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